Mumbai: Designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, who have completed 25 years in the fashion industry, have had their longest association with actress Dimple Kapadia and fondly consider her their silent muse.

"Dimple can pull off any outfit stylishly. She is our silent muse. She wears all our creations with confidence and grace. Dimple is like a goddess, who walks on earth. We have worked with her for the longest time," Khosla said.The duo are masters of revival and reinvention and took ancient techniques and craftsmanship to a new level through their innovative collections. They rediscovered ancient Indian arts such as chikan and zardosi for designer wear and have successfully introduced the style to international audience too.

Khosla and Jani met by chance in 1986. Abu was born in Mumbai and started out as a costume designer in the film industry and Sandeep was born in Kapurthala (Punjab) and started out in the family leather business.

Recalling their first collection "Mata Hari", Khosla said, "I still remember our first creation. We played well with the jackets, puffs, draped dhotis, structured sleeves and many more. We added fantasy element to it. Abu still does all the embroidery himself.”

Khosla calls their 25-year-old fashion career a magical journey. "It feels like we started off our journey yesterday. It has been magical. When we began our career in the fashion industry Indian fashion was on its peak. It was not easy. But we didn't use any shortcuts so it's been a really long and hard journey," said Khosla.(Agencies)